Sophisticated Savories

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Juicing v. Blending

Enormous benefits to both... but first, let's understand the difference between the two techniques:

Juicing - when you juice fruits, vegetables and herbs, you are simply extracting the water and nutrients from the fresh produce, while discarding the indigestible fiber.

But I thought fiber was good for me? Isn't that why people add prunes and high fiber foods to their diet? To ahem... "clear them out?"

Absolutely, yes. BUT, that is one reason to both juice and blend: without the fiber, your digestive system does not hard to work nearly as hard to break down the food and absorb the nutrients. This can be particularly helpful if you were born with a sensitive digestive system or suffer from an illness that prevents you from absorbing fiber. The fiber actually slows down the digestive process and provides a steady, equal release of nutrients into the blood stream. Juicing actually makes the nutrients more readily available to your body- and in a much larger quantity - than if you were to eat the entire fruit/vegetable. Think about it - you can easily juice: 1 medium beet, 2 medium carrots, 1 bunch of kale, 1/2 cucumber, 1 cup purple cabbage, 1 inch knob ginger... much easier to juice that to actually eat that same quantity.

Fresh juices - composed of both fruits and vegetables - are often associated with and form a part of most healing/detox programs. Why? Due to their nutrient rich, nourish-providing and restoration level of cells within our bodies.

As I have mentioned before, every single person reacts differently to different types of food. Since I am boarder-line hypoglycemic I have to refrain from large amounts of sugar - otherwise my blood sugar spikes, then comes to a crash... not a good feeling... when I was younger, I would burst into tears... my parents knew that I had snuck candy at that point#pinocchiosnose

I only mention this as a form of caution to those who cannot consume large quantities of sugar: when you remove the fiber from produce, the liquid then is able to be absorbed into your blood stream immediately. If you are ONLY juicing fruits, this would cause a rapid spike in blood sugar (causing mood swings, energy loss, memory problems, etc.) Fruit has natural sugars - that is not a problem. My intention is only to recommend juicing both fruits and vegetables together.

Ok... juicing down... next topic - blending.

Blending fruits and vegetables consists of produce in its entirety: skin, seeds and fiber. Now, the blending process actually breaks the fiber apart (making it easier to digest) - but since the fiber is still present, it slows the release of nutrients into the blood stream and avoids blood sugar spikes. Think of fiber as a janitorial service... it slowly sweeps the nutrients through your body... and out.

#wontcrosstheline

Smoothies are brilliant, as they tend to be more filling that juices... why? Simple... they still possess the fiber and skin of the produce. Smoothies are great breakfast items, as they are fast to make, will energize your body with healthy nutrients, will keep you full longer with the healthy fiber, as well as repair your body day by day. Soups act in the same manner.

Do try your best to drink juices and smoothies immediately... after about 15 minutes both light and air contribute to nutrient destruction.

As far as equipment - invest in a quality juicer and blender. Since I juice and blend everyday, I have to quality products: Breville Elite and VitaMix. As far as quality - there are a plethora of great juicers and blenders on the market. The very best (and definitely a costly product) juicer is the Norwalk 280. As far as blenders, I am a huge VitaMix fan.

If I had to choose one over the other - I would recommend beginning with a blender. Why? With the VitaMix, you can make smoothies, soups, baby food, purees... even ice cream. There is a plethora of possibilities. Remember, the only main difference between juicing and blending - the fiber issue.

I truly hope this helps! I know, it can be confusing! However, I cannot even remotely begin to express how much better I feel - having been juicing every morning, as well as making soups for lunch/dinners. Also, incorporating healthy fats into my diet... avocados, olive oils, flax/hemp/sesame seed, etc. More to come!

“Juices of fruits and vegetables are pure gifts from Mother Nature and the most natural way to heal your body and make yourself whole again.” - Farnoosh Brock